Into Uncertainty
by MoonytheMarauder1
Summary: When Regulus' world ends—literally—he has to decide if he wants to take the leap and be with his soulmate. JamesRegulus. Space!AU


**A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for Hogwarts. **

**Photography Task 10: Story must take place in space**

**Word Count: 1706**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling.**

**WARNINGS: Character death (not shown), language, panic attack**

**Note: Futuristic/Space!au**

**Enjoy!**

Regulus kept his head down as Sirius led him through the bay doors. His heart was in his throat, beating painfully. Half of him wanted to turn back—exit the ship and run back to his parents.

The other half knew that staying on the planet was suicidal, no matter that his family wouldn't have any sort of standing where they were going. He'd rather lose his wealth than his life.

The familiarity of home still called to him, though, as did the arms of his parents.

"They're staying behind," Regulus murmured for the tenth time in disbelief.

Sirius looked at him with pity. "Yeah. They are." He ran his hands through his long, dark hair. "They'll die, you know."

"I know," Regulus said in a small voice. He was eighteen, but that was still too young to witness the end of his world. It was all too much, and he just couldn't process the fact that… they were gone.

From Sirius' right, Remus Lupin spoke up. "Regulus, we're not going to let anything happen to you. Wherever we're going, you'll be fine."

Regulus hadn't decided if he liked his brother's boyfriend yet (he hadn't spent enough time around the man to decide if he was good enough for Sirius, either), but he appreciated the fact that they weren't just going to abandon him on the ship.

An attendant rushed them to their rooms (Regulus' was attached to the one Remus and Sirius would share, and though it felt childish, he was glad his brother was so close). Regulus dropped the suitcase he'd packed at the foot of his bed and then flopped down on the mattress. He stared up at the ceiling. Everything was in greyscale, of course, since he hadn't met his soulmate—that, at least, was familiar.

After a few minutes of silence, Regulus felt himself drifting off to sleep. When he woke again a few hours later, it was because Sirius was shaking his shoulder. He blinked up at his brother, a slight scowl on his face. "What do you want?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Believe me, if it was up to me, I'd let you sleep. But everyone's about to get their assignments while we're on board, and you have to be there."

Regulus sat up, frowning. "Assignments?"

Sirius looked at him, incredulous. "You didn't think we could just ride to safety for free, did you?"

He had, but now that Sirius put it like _that…_

Grumbling, he got to his feet. As much as he wished Sirius hadn't come to disturb him, he recognized that it had been necessary… so he supposed he couldn't begrudge his brother too much.

Sighing softly, Regulus followed Sirius onto the main deck of the ship. The passengers were crowded around the captain of the ship—Fleamont Potter, Regulus recalled—as the old man listed off assignments. Regulus wrinkled his nose when he heard his own—kitchen duty—and then glared at his brother when he nudged him in the ribs.

"Stop looking ungrateful," Sirius hissed.

"Did the planet blow up yet?" Regulus asked instead.

Remus cut in when pain flashed across Sirius' features. "It will in an hour," the scarred man said quietly. "We'll be far away. They've set up video chats to anyone who wants to say goodbye to those who chose to stay."

Regulus nodded, a lump in his throat. He wasn't sure if his mother or father would even answer—he'd run off with their disowned son—but he had to _try_.

Leaving them was tearing him up inside.

Regulus walked over to the video stations as soon as it was acceptable and tapped a dark screen. It lit up. He reached to make the call, but hesitated. His eyes wandered to the window, where a great, black expanse of nothing surrounded them. He steeled himself and called them.

The little circle that was trying to connect him was spinning. And spinning. And spinning.

The line went dead. He tried again.

Dead again.

Tears in his eyes, Regulus tried one last time.

Dead.

Slowly, he turned off the screen. Numbly he stood, but was unable to move from his spot.

"Are you all right, mate?"

Regulus turned, and the world exploded.

He stumbled backwards in surprise, and saw the stranger that had spoken to him do the same. Regulus' eyes were wide as—as _things_ filled the spaces were the grey, black, and white once were—Merlin, it was terrible—

He had fallen on the floor, he realized, and pressed his palms against his eyes. His breathing was coming in short gasps. It was too much; he'd had such an emotional day, and now the last shred of familiarity had left him.

"Oh, Merlin, are you okay? I didn't mean to scare you—I mean, I guess it was the soulmate thing that did it, but still. Hey. Are you okay? Oh Merlin."

Soulmate. Regulus wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. He had a soulmate. His soulmate was on a ship to another planet. He'd just left his parents behind on their doomed home, and they hated him so much now that they hadn't answered his goodbye call.

"I need my brother," he wheezed.

"I can do that," his soulmate said. "Just… who is he?"

"He looks like—like me. Can't miss him."

As it turned out, though, Regulus needn't have worried.

"Reg! _What did you do to my brother, you bastard?_"

"I didn't! I mean, I don't—I mean—"

Regulus lifted his head. He tried to control his breathing, but he just couldn't. Sirius was there in an instant. He placed a hand on Regulus' back and started rubbing circles on his shoulder blades. "I've got you, Reg. In and out. In and out."

Eventually, Regulus' breathing slowed. He was left shaky and humiliated, ashamed at having broken down in such a public place. It wasn't the worst panic attack he'd had by any means, but that didn't make it any more bearable.

"I want to go back," he croaked out.

Without a word, Sirius walked him back to his room.

* * *

"That's blue, in case you were wondering."

Regulus shot a glare at his brother. It had been a day since the… incident, and Regulus hadn't tried to look for his soulmate, though he heard the other man had stopped by his room more than once.

"I don't much care, thanks."

Sirius sighed. "Reg… if you're embarrassed, don't be."

Regulus stiffened. "I'm not embarrassed," he lied. "I just don't much fancy a soulmate."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I know you too well to fall for that," he snapped. He managed to hold onto his anger for another moment before he sighed. "You know, when I first met Remus I socked him in the face."

Regulus' brows flew to his hairline. "You what?"

Sirius looked guilty. "I panicked. We were just passing on the street and made eye contact—and then I hit him."

Regulus was both astonished and amused; that sounded very much like something Sirius would do. "What did Remus do?" he couldn't help but ask.

Sirius grinned. "Hit me right back. Bloody hurt, too. He doesn't look like he can pack a punch, does he, but Merlin is that assumption wrong."

Regulus chuckled softly. "Seems he has the right idea."

"Oi!" Sirius threw a pillow at him, grinning. Then his expression sombered. "Listen, Reg… I think you should give the bloke out there a chance. You shouldn't feel embarrassed; he was in a right state himself. I didn't think he'd ever stop spluttering."

Regulus turned away. "Mother and Father are dead, Sirius."

His brother sounded surprised by the change of topic. "Yes."

"You didn't love them."

"...No. I didn't."

"Well, I did." Regulus turned back to him. "I'm not ready to love someone else yet."

Sirius stood up and walked over to him. His older brother seemed to age ten years in that moment; the joy was gone from his grey eyes, and he just looked… tired. "They were toxic, Reg. This love won't be. I'm not saying you have to rush into anything you're not ready for, but I'll tell you this: I'm a good judge of character, and James Potter doesn't seem like the sort who'd run off. And he'd never, ever ignore your calls."

Regulus winced at the reminder of the final abuse his parents had dealt him. "I…"

Sirius smiled softly. "Think about it. I wouldn't encourage my little brother into the arms of just anyone, you know."

With those words, Sirius left, leaving Regulus with much to think about.

* * *

The next week found Regulus standing in front of James Potter's door, his hand posed to knock. He had a speech prepared, but the words were escaping him now.

He didn't want a relationship. He wanted a friendship. He just hoped James would understand.

Right before Regulus' knuckles touched the cold metal door, it slid open. He blinked in surprise, then flushed when he caught sight of an equally-shocked James.

He cleared his throat. "Hello."

James' face broke into a grin. His hazel eyes—Sirius had made sure to tell him the color before he'd come—were sparkling behind his glasses. "Hey." He stepped aside and gestured for Regulus to enter, so he did.

The younger boy waited anxiously by the door, unsure where to begin. James stuffed his hands in his pockets. "What brings you here?"

"I don't… I don't want a relationship right now," Regulus said slowly, drawing up all his courage and dignity. "I'm not ready for that."

"You want to take this slow?" James asked. "Or you... don't want it at all?"

He looked nervous. Regulus could tell that James was the sort of person who wore his heart on his sleeve, and that was the exact opposite of Regulus. For a moment he despaired, but then he thought of Remus and Sirius—alike, yes, but so very different. _They_ loved each other plenty. And then there was his own parents, almost exactly the same but with so little love between them.

So he made his decision.

"I want it," he admitted. "But not now."

To his relief, James just smiled reassuringly. "I can work with that," he murmured. Then he grinned at Regulus. "Fancy a tour of the ship?"

And that was that.


End file.
